ashtanga

Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is a lineage concentrating on extremely rigorous asana practice. This very physical style of yoga is about meticulous polishing of asanas and a bit more relaxed practice of pranayama. Ashtanga yoga aspirant does practice 6 times in a week and every week, except on moon days. This is not a recommendation, it's simply the minimum (and maximum) for those who want to see progress in their practise. And you will sweat a lot before you finish the primary series of asanas. Ashtanga yoga practice is everything but nice and easy exercise for a casual yogi.

Although ashtanga practice is concentrated on physical excercice, one should not think it as just a physical excercice. Just like every other lineage of yogic practice, asthanga does aim for developing serene and calm mind ie. the point of practice is mental, not physical. As an additional benefit you will obtain a very nice physical form. And it's always a plus if you can grab your toes in every conceivable posture.

Ashtanga lineage is taught primarily by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in the city of Mysore, India, where P. Jois has been teaching this very physical style of yoga continuously for 67 years (P. Jois himself has reached a venerable age of 87). There are some western teachers in United States and Europe too. Asthanga practice is very popular among Finns, mostly because Finns are equipped with below awerage self-esteem and thus are very apt to devote themselves for yoga practice.

Ashtanga lineage is based on studies of Patanjali yoga sutras and related vedic texts, just like every other lineage of yoga practice, by late Sri T Krishnamachar who established his yoga shala in the palace of Maharadja of Mysore. This is the place where P. Jois studied under T. Krishnamachar for several years before taking leadership of the yoga shala.